Chapter 16

“How?” Jareth asked her once more.

Randy stopped pacing and glared at him. “I told you. I tie a rope onto something and climb down.”

“Just as easy as that?” He could not prevent the malicious tone in his voice.

“Yes.” She put her hands on her hips.

He held up a hand and looked to the floor for a moment. It was as if he was not speaking at all! She would not listen to him, and he could feel his temper rising. “When I did this, it was all I could do to get down whilst carrying the items for safekeeping.” He studied her for a moment. “The return climb was not an easy task...”

She huffed out a breath. “I didn’t think it would be. I’m not in that bad of shape.”

“Your shape is not in question. I am merely trying to point out that you will be carrying up what I barely managed going down.” Gods, he wished he could actually stomp an actual, solid foot at this moment. Instead he moved over to her and stopped to look right down into her unwavering face. “I want the curse to be gone, but not at the risk of losing you.”

Slumping her shoulders slightly, she chewed the inside of her cheek. “You think I’m going to need more than just a rope?”

“Yes. I do not question your strength or ability. I am hesitant on how you can balance and climb at the same instance.”

Randy sighed. “Okay, I get it.” She paced over to the window and stared out. “Just give me a minute here.” She sighed again and looked back at him.

Jareth stood in the silence and watched her. She was not intending to change her mind on this. He had been trying to convince her of how foolish the entire idea was since she had woken this dawn.

He moved closer to her. The look on her face was one he was not at ease with. It was the very same look she had used since her years were single numbers. The look that generally led to things that were not meant to be done.

“Got it,” she whispered more to herself than him. She wasn’t saying a word until she knew for sure. She walked quickly to the phone and punched the speed-dial. He leaned back beside the window and crossed his arms over his chest, watching her like a hawk. Just his expression made her feel guilty and she hadn’t done anything...yet.

“Hey, Jode.” She rolled her eyes. “Yes, he is. No, I haven’t changed my mind.” She turned so he could not see her face. “I need a favor. Yeah. No, for a, uh, freelance job.” Her head bobbed. “Do you still talk to that guy who’s into rock climbing?” His jaw clenched. Rock climbing? Guy?

Keeping her head down, she studied the desk. “Josh, that’s right.”

“You want to go rock climbing?” Jody asked slowly.

“No. I just need to know more about it.”

“For a job?”

Even Jody was suspecting something, judging by her voice. “Yeah, can you see if he’ll give me a call?”

Jody laughed. “In a heartbeat he will. He’s totally into you.”

She winced. She’d forgotten that part. “Oh yeah. Great.”

“So when do I get to see the sexy man in the towel again?”

Randy laughed. “Soon, okay. Just not yet.”

“I get it, seeing if it’s going to work, right?”

“Yeah.” More than you could ever believe.

Jareth straightened from the wall as she put the phone back. “Who is Josh?”

She sat down and flicked the computer on so she didn’t have to look at him yet. “He’s an instructor of rock climbing and trail hiking, a real fitness nut.”

“Why is it you wish him to phone you? Are you going to inquire about what you are wanting to do?”

“I don’t know yet. I’ll know when I talk to him.”

“This Josh will tell you that it can’t be done and you will listen?”

Sighing, she looked up at him quickly before looking back at the screen. “I don’t know, okay? I’ll just try to get a feel for it and see if I can explain things to him.”

“You are going to speak with him of the curse?” He crossed his arms.

She was just about to reply when the phone rang. She grabbed it so she wouldn’t have to answer Jareth. “Hello?”

“Hey you, it’s Josh.”

She smirked. That was fast. “Hi Josh, thanks for calling so fast.” She had forgotten how chipper he always was.

“Not a prob at all. Jody said you were interested in learning to climb.”

“Well. . .sort of. Do you have a bit of time?” She glanced at Jareth. He hadn’t moved a muscle and the way he was standing made him look about ten feet tall.

“I have a couple of hours to kill before I go teach some kids how to work their lines. I could come over and run through anything you need.”

“Uh, I’m not sure, I need—”

“I could bring some gear and just give you a quick walk-through. Most people know after trying it on and a quick one-on-one whether it’s for them or not.”

She bit her lip and looked back at Jareth’s remote expression. “It might help, actually. I know nothing about it. . .”

“Cool! I can be there in. . .twenty minutes.”

She looked at the clock. “Oh. Uh, are you sure? I don’t want you to be late for—”

“Not a problem, sweet. Where I’m teaching is only about ten minutes from you. You are still in that old house on the outskirts, right?”

“Yeah.” Jareth moved back over to the window. “Are you sure this isn’t a problem?”

Josh laughed. “Pos-i-tive. See ya soon.”

She stared at the phone when he’d hung up so quickly. Clearing her throat she hung it up. “He’s going to come over and explain things to me.”

Jareth turned and squinted at her. “You are still intent on trying this?”

Puffing out her cheeks, she thought about it for a moment. “I really don’t know. I’ll see what he says about climbing and decide from there.” She got up and walked over to him. She looked at his eyes for a minute; he really was worried about her doing this. “If I don’t think I can do it, I won’t. I’m not out to prove anything, okay?” He moved his hand as if he were to run it through her hair and she could feel the tingle.

“I am distressed that you will be harmed and I will be the cause.”

“I’ll take my time and see if this is even something I’m capable of, okay?” She reached up toward his face, wanting to touch him, reassure him. “If I can’t do it, we’ll find another way.”

He released his breath slowly. “Thank you.” He dropped his hand from her. “I have a question,” he stated quietly.

“What’s that?”

He gave her an odd look. “Last eve you expressed wishes that I speak my mind freely.”

She nodded, waiting for the question part.

“To what avail, if you are to pay no heed to my words?”

“I didn’t say I’d be obedient, just that you should say what’s really on your mind.”

He grunted. “So, in fact, I might as well talk at a walls.”

Randy laughed at the look on his face. “Most times? Pretty much.”

~

Josh had been there fifteen minutes before she was finally able to get a word in. He’d gone on and on about carabiners and belaying, toe holds, and so many other facts she really didn’t care about. Bonus points for him, though, for impressive word knowledge. She held up her hand. “Josh. You lost me after harness.” She waved a hand to the rope and, stuff, he’d left by the door. “Can you just show me all this and save the technical terms for another time?” He grinned at her, showing lots of teeth.

“I can definitely do that.” He went over and scooped up the gear. “I didn’t bring a helmet and all of the safety gear. Just the basics.”

“Great.” She smiled to encourage him to get on with it.

He held up the harness to show her. “I found a harness that should fit you comfortably.” He shrugged. “It might feel weird at first, but you get used to it. Do you want to try it on?”

Randy looked at the straps hanging from his hand. “Um, sure. . .”

“I’ll help you.” He knelt down in front of her. “Next to shoes, the harness is the most important.”

Jareth had made an effort to stand well out of the way during the rambling of this boy. . .and he was a boy. Jareth had his doubts if the lad had yet started to use a blade on his baby soft cheeks. He moved over closer as this Josh, with the golden hair and tight-as-skin attire knelt before Miranda, his scar-free face only a whisper from the stone showing at her middle.

Miranda placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder and stepped into the rig of sorts. He stepped closer as the other male’s hands went around and began pulling the straps up to her bottom.

“I’ll show you how to do it up. . .and you should give yourself a bit of room.”

Randy watched as Josh slipped his hand between her legs and put his fingers between her inner thigh and the strap. It wasn’t a personal kind of touch, and he knew about the way it should fit, but still. . .

“Is it too tight here?” Josh asked.

“I don’t think so.” Not that she would tell him if it was, or he might try to adjust it. She looked at Jareth, who was now right beside them looking straight down at Josh as he reached around behind her and fiddled with the straps going down her butt. Without moving his head, Jareth’s eyes rolled up to look at her. His pirate aura had definitely surfaced again as she looked into dark, callous eyes.

Backing up a step, she smiled down at Josh. “It feels great, Josh.” He knelt there beaming up at her.

“You’re in really great shape, Randy. It’s sometimes hard to tell with smaller women.”

“Uh, thanks.” She looked down and flicked the metal rings hanging from the center of the harness. “So what do all these do?”

Josh stood up. “I’ll show you in a minute. First, the deciding test for most people.” He shrugged. “If they don’t like the feel of the rig, chances are they’ll never go for it.”

She ran her hands over the straps going down her butt. “It’s not too bad.”

“That’s because it’s loose right now. Here, I’ll show you the difference.”

He moved toward her quickly, slid both hands into the front straps, and jerked her up onto her toes and against him. She grabbed his arms so she wouldn’t slip right between his legs. “Oh!” she squeaked. He continued to hold her, by her crotch, or at least it felt that way. “Yeah, that’s different.”

He loosened his hold so her feet were all the way on the floor again, but still held the straps and was way too close to her.

“Do you think you want to know more?” He leered. “Say you do, Randy. I’d love to take you climbing sometime.”

Looking over his shoulder to see Jareth standing, legs wide, knees straight, arms crossed over his chest. His hair had fallen to cover the right side of his face, leaving the side with the scar visible. He looked more dangerous than she ever could have imagined. She cleared her throat. “Yeah, show me what the rest of this does, Josh.” Anything to get his hands away from her.

Josh let her go and stepped back to pick up the rope. “I’ll show you how to use the ascenders and feed the rope, okay?”

She watched him go over to the banister of the stairs and flip the rope through it. He started backing toward her and he fed the rope through evenly. He stopped beside her and lifted one arm up.

“Just step in here and I’ll hook you up.” He grinned.

Hesitantly she stepped under his arm, the metal rings from the harness clanking with each step. He lowered his arms to her waist, leaning into her back, and spoke in her ear as he fed the rope slowly and explained what he was doing.

She nodded and tried to focus on what he was so doing, so she could do it on her own and partially so she didn’t have to look at Jareth, who had moved very close to watch everything.

~

Randy kept busy for several minutes after Josh rushed off to his class of climbers. Jareth hadn’t said a word yet. She rolled the rope, or tried to, and took off the harness. She was still surprised Josh had fell for her saying she wanted to get used to it more and left it with her. Hanging it over the bottom post of the banister, she finally turned to the surly-looking pirate. “Are you going to glare at me all day or say what’s on your mind?”

Jareth continued to lean where he stood. “You do not wish to know what is on my mind.”

A shiver went down her spine at his tone, and it wasn’t a good kind of shiver. “If you say so...” She shrugged and turned to go to the computer.

Jareth stepped into her path. She stopped and looked up at him. “You desire that boy?” he growled, making it more like a statement than a question.

Randy blinked at him. “First, he’s older than I am, so he’s not a boy, and second, no!” She went around him and into the room.

“You allowed him to paw at you and even held onto him as he did so!” He strode to the desk quickly.

She snorted. “I did not!” She flicked the computer monitor on, but didn’t sit down. He was too tall, and if she sat she’d feel tiny. And somehow with the look on his face, that churning-fury look, she wanted to seem as tall as she could at the moment.

“I watched.”

His mouth moved into a snarl. “Yeah, I know. I saw you.” She waved her hands around. “He had to show me how to put the stupid stuff on; I don’t know the first thing about all that climbing crap!” She placed her hands on her hips and looked at him. If she wasn’t mad at him right now for being so...male, she might be a little hot with how deadly and damn sexy he looked standing on the other side of her desk. He looked like, well, a pirate, dammit!

“His hands were all over you,” he spat out and crossed his arms. “It was hardly needed to show you how to lean backward from the ropes.”

She raised her hands to the ceiling in exasperation. “We agreed I would check it all out and see if it was something I could do. I did that! What difference does it make if he had to get close to show me? He’s an instructor, Jareth; he knows what he’s doing. I don’t.”

He sneered. “It is doubtful he would touch all his students as he did to you.”

Puffing out her cheeks, she counted to ten in her head as she exhaled. “Okay! I had to learn. Do you want me to break my neck trying to get down those stupid rocks?” She crossed her arms and glowered at him. “What is the real problem here? I don’t think Josh getting a little too close is the real issue.”

Jareth spun on his heel and went over to the window. If he’d had blood, it would have boiled with envy. It was not her fault that she was a desirable woman. He spun back toward her and did try to speak softer, but failed. “The problem is... ” he exhaled to soften his words, “I cannot touch you, and he is able to!” He went toward her with a wide gait. “I brood for the feel of your touch on my skin, and then have to watch as he feels it in my place...”

Her glare softened briefly.

“You are mine, Miranda; let that be clear to you. Mine. I may not have a body, but the forces have given you to me to claim. Why else would only you be able to see me?” He stepped back toward the window, not comfortable with the words his own mouth was speaking. He turned back to look upon her. “I will remove the hand of any man who touches you in a manner that only I should.”

“Claim? What am I, a freakin’ prize? A little possessive after a few kisses and...things, aren’t you?”

“I am speaking what is in my mind. Is that not what you asked me to do?” His anger was still closer to the outside than he was easy with.

She straightened, then raised a finger and pointed toward him. “Okay, I was all for the belonging-with-you part. I want to be with you, too. But, hello, this is not the eighteenth century, and no one...” She took a breath. “You made it sound like I was handed to you and that’s the end of it. Like I don’t have a choice.”

“Part of that is fact.” He yearned for the words she would comprehend. If during youth someone had told him the very language of English would change and degrade to the state it was in this day, he would have laughed. It was not as amusing living it. “I do not feel you were handed to me, as that is quite impossible. Yet it is more truth than not.” She made a noise that sounded like an animal’s growl. “What is wrong?”

She gave him a heated look. “What’s wrong? You’re being an overbearing jerk is what’s wrong! All you had to do was say you didn’t like him that close to me and leave it there. It would have meant a lot more if you had. But nooo, you had to go all caveman—”

“I did not like him close to you. I just said that.” He tilted his head. “I may be old, but I am not old enough to be the first man who—” He began to move closer to her.

She held up a hand. “Just back off!” Turning away from him quickly, she took a few steps as she tried to reel in her anger, but it was too late. The alarms were going off in full force inside her skull. She stomped her foot, needing some outlet for the frustration that coiled through her. She inhaled slowly through her nose to settle herself and try one more time to explain this to him.

Turning, she exhaled again and looked at him. His eyes had lightened. Was he laughing at her? She clenched her jaw. He thought it was funny? “Urgh!” She grabbed the first thing off the desk her fingers made contact with and pitched it in his direction.

Jareth ducked to the side. It smashed against the wall. He straightened and looked to the pieces of glass on the floor and then turned slowly to give her a wide-eyed look.

Randy threw her hands up in defeat and stomped from the room.

A few moments later Jareth heard the slam of a door on the top level. What had just occurred? He cleared his throat and looked back at the shards of glass on the floor. He might have been long without the presence of a woman, yet he knew well enough a cooling interlude was required before he endeavoured to soothe the way once again.